The Academy
by Red 921
Summary: The story of a young Jedi who is studing under Luke Skywalker and her trials. (complete) PLEASE R & R!!


Hello I am a Jedi Knight. I know you might find this hard to believe but it's true. I study at the Jedi Academy on the fourth moon of Yavin. My master is Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. He helped destroy the death stars and the whole of the Empire. He is a great man. However, I don't always see eye to eye with him and that can be a problem. This is my story. I am Maile Carel.  
  
I know not many people will remember the time of the Jedi but I hope this document helps to bring back this era. Now let me tell you of the problems between Luke Skywalker and myself. If you couldn't tell, I am a humanoid female. I have long red hair, brown eyes, and I stand 1.7 meters tall. You won't be able to tell who I was if I didn't want you to know. I have mastered the Jedi arts of Battle Meditation, Levitation, Mind Control, and a few others. But Luke, excuse me, MASTER SKYWALKER, has been evasive about teaching me other things, things some might think are associated with the dark side of the force.  
  
I am very different from my more traditional friend Kobra Gana. She is like a smaller Leia Organa Solo. She too has the long dark hair, knowing eye, and perky smile, also she is drawn to General Han Solo more than most HF's I know. I think I'm the only HF I know who can withstand his charm. Kob, as I call her, is into the learning, she doesn't question the way I do. This is to her advantage. She is constantly telling me that I should just to the exercises and not ask Master why all we do is mold flames and lift rock while standing on our heads.  
  
One day Luke got a little annoyed with my constants questions. He told me to go to his office. First of all I didn't even know he had an office but I went anyways and second I was surprised to see or more specifically feel him this mad! As I walked to his office I had a strange feeling wash over me. It was unlike anything I've ever felt. It wasn't good and warm like the light side of the force, it was more foreboding. More evil. It made me shiver. That was then Luke walked up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. I jumped about 3 meters up in the air, came down, and tried to punch him. I was so caught up in the feeling I didn't know it was him. He grabbed my fist before I could plant the punch and twisted it. I ended up being flipped over and landing on my back on the floor. I looked into his face and saw amusement? I got up a bit indignantly and brushed myself off.  
  
"Now what do you wanna know or tell me, Master?" I tried to say without betraying my small flame of anger.  
  
"Actually, I was going to tell you that some things you ask about are not things you need to know. At least not yet. When the time is right I will tell you what you think you need to know." Luke said calmly all thought I could see he was trying to hide a smile. This really didn't help my mood but I calmed myself and headed to the quarters I share with Kob. When I entered, she was sitting on her bed meditating. I hate it when she does this. She's always meditating but when she wasn't meditating, she was going on about Han Solo. That drives me even more nuts but I'd rather have her meditating that going on about HIM.  
  
I sat down on the floor in front of her and watched her for about 10 minuets. Then she finally looked at me. "What's up wit the Walker?" she asked using our nick name for Luke.  
  
" He just told me to stop asking questions and that he would tell me later." I snorted, "Right! Later!"  
  
"Well maybe he will. You just have to be patient. If that's possible." she added under her breath.  
  
"I can be patient!! I know I can. But that isn't the issue right now."  
  
"Maile, your so close to completing your training, almost a year before me and I'm a year older than you."  
  
I smiled at that. "Remember the apprentice who asked how long it would take him to be trained? '1 session.' 'If I work twice as hard?' '2 sessions.' 'If I work three times as hard?' '4 sessions.' I put in as much as you but yours is more concentrated while mine is a bit more loose. It doesn't matter when you started but how you do what you must do."  
  
"Great my roommate is talking like the walker!! This is just great!!" Kob yelled throwing her arms up in the air. She got up off her bed and walked over to the door.  
  
"Wait!! Where are you going??"  
  
"To see if I can get the Walker to give you back your brain!!"  
  
"No wait!! Don't tell Walker about this, please. I have more I need to tell you." Kob slowed down and turned. I looked at the floor and began. "I think I've tapped into the Dark Side. Before I got to his office, I felt a, I dunno, it was almost like an evil blanket over me for a second or two. It was scary. It kinda washed over me and I didn't even notice Walker coming up behind me like I should have. He's so bright in the force how could you miss him?" By now Kobra was just looking at me in utter amazement or horror, I couldn't tell which. She walked over and at down next to me on the floor.  
  
"What are you going to do about this?" she asked.  
  
"I really don't know." I said truthfully. In past, I've been more than secretive about my life, even with Korba but right now I don't think that I should be. I need to get help with this. Especially since I don't know or like what I might have gotten into. "We'll talk about this in the morning." I said as I laid down on my bunk. I didn't even bother changing close.  
  
As I sleep, I see visions of blood. People injured and killed by my hand. I saw Kobra. She was crying. Then, I saw Luke. He moved to stand in front of Kobra. His lightsaber was ignited and up in a defensive position. Then I moved without wanting to. I saw my own lightsaber come up to parry. We battled and after what seemed like minutes, Luke was able to force my lightsaber out of my hands. I watched it fly out of my hand. Luke held his blade at my throat. I knew it was all over but I wouldn't give in.  
  
"Give up and let go of the Dark Side or you will be destroyed." he said moving his blade closer. I just stared at him. I felt the evil burn inside of me. The only way it was going to stop was for it to die and for that to happen I was going to have to go.  
  
"Never." I heard myself say quietly. Luke frowned, then grabbed me by the collar and pulled me to my feet.  
  
"You will let go of the Dark Side. I will make you!" He yelled but before he could do anything I fell out of bed, yelling. In seconds, Kobra was at my side trying to quiet me.  
  
"What is it??" she asked urgently.  
  
"I was evil. I was full of hate and anger. I killed people. I was going. . . " I trailed off, not able to tell her what I was going to do. "Luke stopped me, more or less. He had his saber to my throat and was. . . ." I couldn't tell her this not now. So I sat there on the floor while she left. When she returned, she brought someone I really didn't want to see. Luke Skywalker walked in after her. He could tell I was ashamed just by looking at me. I felt so unclean. I was the youngest student at the academy. Luke had hesitated to let me train in the beginning. He didn't think I was ready for the work. This episode really wasn't helping him think he made the right choice. He looked at me but I hid my face from him. I knew that if he looked into my eyes he would see the truth about my dream.  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked quietly. I just shook my head. He knelt down beside me.  
  
"She fell out of bed and was shouting. I think it was a nightmare. She said she was evil, full of hate and anger. And that. . . . she had killed." Kobra said softly. Luke looked at me kindly. I could feel his gaze through the force. It made me squirm. He began to search my thoughts. I turned to face him. I blocked his probes the best I could but he was far faster than I was. I felt him reach into the memory of the dream. I watched as his eyes went wide at first then narrowed. I stopped avoiding his probes and just looked at the floor.  
  
"I think that I need to talk with Maile, alone." He said as he straightened. Kobra took the hint and left the room, shutting the door behind her. "When did you first feel the Dark Side?" He asked looking down at me.  
  
"Yesterday, when you came up behind me. That was why I didn't know you were there." I said.  
  
"Why didn't you talk to anyone about this?"  
  
"I did. I told Kobra about it," I saw he was going to reprimand Kobra so I said "but I asked her not to tell you even though she wanted to." I paused. "Do you suppose the dream was a vision of the future?"  
  
"I don't know. I would have to look into you thoughts again to really get the true feeling." He said calmly. He could sense that I didn't want to have to see it all again. "Try and remember what you saw as clearly as you can. I'm going to see it through your eyes." I just nod my head and close my eyes.  
  
I'm seeing the whole confrontation again but not through my own eyes. I see myself standing before a group of people. There is a person in front of me who doesn't know I am there speaking against me. I hold my hands out, my fingers out stretched, as blue-white lightning comes from the tips. They were turned into a fireball. I see myself smile as other people, dressed in a black uniform stream into the crowd. They begin shooting into the crowd. I feel myself grow with power. I walk into the crowd and find myself in front of Kobra. She is crying, pleading for me to stop. I laugh in her face. Then out of no where, Luke strides between Kobra and my dream self. His lightsaber was ignited and held up right.  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Master." I heard myself say. Then my saber is up and on. We fight. He finally gains the upper hand and is able to send my lightsaber flying out of my hands and me crashing to the ground. Luke moves his blade up to my throat. I have no where to go. I know I will die if I do not do what he demands.  
  
"Give up and let go of the Dark Side or you will be destroyed." He says as he move the blade closer. I just stare at him. I felt the anger boil inside of me. There is a smirk on my face, I knew that it wouldn't be stopped until my life had stopped.  
  
"Never." I said quietly. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and hauled me to my feet.  
  
"You will let go of the Dark Side! I will make you if it is the last thing I do." Luke yelled at me. As it was in the dream, before Luke could do anything everything went dark.  
  
I came out of the vision with a jolt. I could see Luke was shaken as well. I could see worry in his eyes. He didn't know what to make of this or of me.  
  
"I think we need to talk about this with my sister." He said after some time. I didn't know what his sister could do but I hoped it would help.  
  
Later that week, after working hard to not do anything out of line, President Leia Organa Solo arrived on Yavin 4. She didn't wear any long formal gown, just a pair of light blue pants and a tunic maybe a size or so too big. She greeted her brother with a hug. From what I could see, he was happy to see her but had other things on his mind, like me. He showed her inside but he subtle waved me to follow.  
  
"I'm having a bit of a .....situation with a student. I thought you might be able to help." he said to her. I could feel him telling me to come forward through the force. I stepped forward slowly, keeping my eyes o the floor. "This is Maile. She is one of my most promising students but has just recently started to be plagued but dreams of evil doings and has felt the dark sides presence. Can you think of any thing that might be done?"  
  
She just looked at me for a while than said, "Tell me of your dreams." So I told her about the dream I had been having every night since Luke first wanted to speak with me. The thing was each night the dream had gone a bit farther back than the night before. Last night I saw what I assume is most of the dream. I found out the person speaking against me was Han Solo himself. He was telling the group that not all Jedi are good and that you shouldn't trust one just because they say that they are one. He was using me as an example of a bad Jedi who shouldn't be trusted. This I didn't tell her or Luke. I only told them what Luke had seen.  
  
"This could be a problem for all the Jedi, if we are not careful as to how we deal with this." Luke said. Leia nodded in agreement.  
  
"Could I see the dream?" she asked carefully. She said it as if I might go haywire if she asked to forcefully.  
  
I just looked at her and shook my head. Luke looked at me thoughtfully.  
  
"You will show her your dream." Luke said pushing my willpower with the force. I felt myself relax and I saw the dream again. When it was over, I felt a tear run down my cheek. Leia had the same look of shock on her face that her brother had. I took one look at the two of them and ran out. I heard Leia yell for me and glanced back to see Luke run after me. I only ran faster into the forest.  
  
I ran for a rock formation I had been to when I felt like I needed to meditate. When I made it there I was so out of breathe I knew I wouldn't be able to run another step. I would have tried but I tripped over a branch and fell face first into the grassy ground. I lay there panting as Luke ran up beside me. It didn't sound as if he had been running, because I didn't hear him breathing hard. I felt myself leave the ground and float to my feet. When I opened my eyes I was standing in front of my teacher. I stood there looking into his blue eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he spoke.  
  
"Why did you run?"  
  
"I was scared." I said looking down to inspect my boots.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I didn't want to know what she might find in my dream."  
  
"What do you think she might find?"  
  
"Evil." was all I had to say. He nodded and lifted my chin so our eyes would meet. I felt him looking into my soul, deep into my heart.  
  
"Well if any is there I can't find it." he said with a small smile. I could only look away in shame.  
  
"Then you aren't looking in the right spot." I said and turned away and started to walk back to the temple. Luke followed. I could tell he was upset. Then he ran up behind me and turned me around.  
  
"I have an idea." he said and ran off. I stood there for a second then followed him. I finally caught up to him when he slowed down. He walked into the archive, and picked up to paddle shaped objects. I recognized this to be a device that could read if you had force abilities. It also read what side of the force you were using. The holo image it projected would be one of three colors: red, blue, or yellow. Red if you had the dark side, blue for the light, and yellow for none.  
  
"Hold still." Luke instructed and he flipped on the machine. It hummed softly. I stood still not even daring to breath as Luke used the paddles to scan me. Then we waited for a minute. A small holo outline of me came up and we saw a light blue aura mixed with a little red. I swallowed hard. The red color was about 20% and it looked like it was growing. I felt a tear run down my cheek.  
  
I walked back into the temple and found Kobra waiting for me. She looked hopeful as to what might have been discovered by Leia but when she saw my face she knew better. She walked with me to our room and we sat on our beds for a few hours. We just sat there. I actually was meditating when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in." we called. The door entered and President Organa Solo stood in the doorway. She walked in and looked at the two of us.  
  
"I have thought about what I have seen and have decided, with the help of Master Skywalker, that it would be best if Maile was blindfolded." she said in slow quiet tones. I just sat there staring at her. She was telling us that the elite Jedi would strip me of my ability to use, touch and connect with the force. There wasn't really anything I could say or do. There was no where to run, no where to hide, they would find me if I was seen as a threat. And now it seems I am seen as one. The elite group of the Jedi would get here shortly, no doubt. They would most likely be here within a day or so.  
  
"Do you submit to this decision?" Leia asked breaking into my thoughts. I could only nod my head. Kobra came over by me and hugged me. She trying to place good thoughts in my head but I had already closed myself off to the force.  
  
That night, I had another dream. This one was different. I was on Yavin 4. I saw Luke, Leia, Jacen Solo, Jaina Solo and Anakin Solo. They were surrounding me. It was time for me to be blindfolded. I was dressed totally in white, which didn't make sense at all. When they began to focus on cutting me off from the force, I only felt my bond growing stronger with it. I felt a connection with all living things in the universe. I was leaving my body. My presence in the force made my soul glow and light. I saw my body standing on the ground and the other Jedi around it. I 'floated' over to where Kobra stood looking upset. I moved beside her and put my hands on her shoulders. She smiled and looked at me. She told the Jedi to stop. They all looked at her, the concentration gone. I felt myself being pulled back into my body. When I was back in it, I fell to the ground, in major pain. Kobra came over beside me. She smiled. And I smiled back. I felt myself leave my body again. But this time I knew I wouldn't come back.  
  
I woke up with a start and fell out of bed again. I knew I had to show Master Skywalker. I grabbed my cloak and ran down the halls in my bare feet. When I arrived at his quarters, I softly knocked on his door. There was a groan and the door opened. He didn't look tired but he didn't look rested.  
  
"You need to see this." I said urgently. I grabbed his hands and placed them at my temples and began to see the dream again. I don't think Luke saw it from my point of view but where he was he still saw what I wanted him to see. The dream came to a jarring end. Maile was dizzy from it and Luke looked a bit less sleepy than in the beginning.  
  
"I don't know what to say. Could we have been wrong about you?" he  
  
looked confused and as if he was beginning to doubt himself. He looked directly into my eyes. This time I didn't flinch under his gaze.  
  
"It wasn't you. You were right. Then I changed. I don't know when or how, I just did. I think it was when your sister told me I was going to be blindfolded. That's when I changed."  
  
"You do however realize that the others will be here sometime today and I know at least two of them will want you blindfolded, no matter what. You see, as the elite of the Jedi we have a precedence we need to set. We can't say that a Jedi needs to be blindfolded and then not." he said sorrowfully.  
  
"You must be kidding! You can't still blindfold me!! I won't let you!" I turned and ran from his door. Eventually I found myself back at the rock formation. I sat there, in a crack in the formation, and cried, something I hadn't done whole heartedly in a long time. After along time they found me. Luke lead them to me. I drew my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them, hugging them to my chest.  
  
"Maile, will you come out?" Luke called to me.  
  
"No, I will not." I told him softly. I pushed myself farther into the crack. I felt the force close in around me and lift me off the ground. I put my head as far down as I could. Despair filled me as I was moved out and into the clearing where the Jedi Elite stood. I was then set down. Slowly and still not making eye contact with any of them, I stood up. "You cannot do this." I said quietly as I looked up. Leia had a look of surprise on her face. Jaina and Jacen had the same look of precaution on their faces. Anakin stood, looking at me without any expression at all on his face.  
  
"Why not?" Anakin asked.  
  
"There is no reason to."  
  
"Explain, please."  
  
"I am not one with the Dark Side. Can you not feel that?" I asked almost as a challenge. I felt him reach into my head and feel around. I silently stool, wanting to block him, but waiting as he searched through my brain. When he finally withdrew, I could see he was surprised.  
  
"I don't feel anything. How is this possible? I can feel her presence but I don't feel anything dark about it." Anakin looked at Leia. She just shrugged her shoulders. A small smile slipped onto my lips and I reached for all of them through the force and drew them into myself. I showed them my presence and that the darkness inside of me had been washed away by the light. After a minute, I let them go. I fell over from the loss of the energy I had used pulling them to me like that. I smiled once again at Luke.  
  
"I told you, didn't I?" I asked him innocently. He just smiled back and shook his head. Luke offered me his hand as I tried to get up. I took it and we all began to walk back to the temple. On the way there, we met up with Kobra. She looked distressed, as if she knew what should have happened. I just smiled at her and she helped me to our room. I felt light as we walked there. When I lied down to rest, Kobra was at my side.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked kindly. I had to smile at that.  
  
"Yes I'm quite fine, Kobra. You meditate while I rest and I'll see you in an hour." With that I shut my eyes and slept undisturbed. 


End file.
